The present invention relates to slow cookers and, in particular, to a slow cooker which can be relatively easily transported with little to no spillage of any contents therein.
Slow cookers are generally known and typically include a ceramic or stoneware container received in a metal housing. Typically, a transparent glass or plastic lid is removably mounted on the container. The housing typically has an electrically-operated control and heating element for heating food stuffs placed within the container. The housing generally has handles extending therefrom to allow a user to relatively easily pick up and move the slow cooker. Often, the user may want to move the slow cooker after it is loaded with the food stuffs to be cooked.
However, the containers and the lids of slow cookers are not usually made to close tolerances, and the lids are typically not securely engaged with the containers. This creates a potential for the lid to slide off the container when the slow cooker is being carried from one location to another. Also, because foods cooked in a slow cooker typically have a significant liquid content, there exists the potential of significant spillage if the container is tilted while the slow cooker is moved.
Additionally, spoons and/or other utensils are typically required for tending to and/or serving food stuffs within the slow cooker. However, if the slow cooker is desired to be moved, the user must typically separately carry such utensils. Because of this, there exists the potential of dropping the utensil while the user attempts to move the slow cooker.
For this reason, it would be desirable to provide a slow cooker with a sealing lid that can be retained on the container to inhibit leakage of food stuffs from within the container, particularly during movement. It would further be desirable to have a utensil that can be removably engaged with the slow cooker to enable the user to relatively easily carry the slow cooker and the utensil at the same time.